


The Best and Worst of Times

by hellbells



Series: Expanded Tales of TLBB: Law and Spy Zone [6]
Category: NCIS, Numb3rs (TV), The Sentinel
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bonding, Case Fic, Character Bashing, Guide Tony, M/M, Sentinel Fusion, Sexual Tension, Tony not raised by Senior
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-07-03 22:03:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15827823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellbells/pseuds/hellbells
Summary: For years Tony had been treated like a broken guide, and the worst case in years just might be the best thing that happened to him.





	1. Not so Broken

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic involving crimes against children guides, including murder. There is no graphic descriptions but the after effects are mentioned if this is a trigger please avoid. 
> 
> Also, several of you will recognise this from Rough Trade. It is now being tidied up and posted here.

Tony had heard the same thing over and over again in his life and he was tired of it. _“You’re an oddity.” “You’re not meant to exist like this.” “Wait - your mother’s death brought you online? It didn’t turn you dormant?”_ Therefore, apparently he must be some kind of freak.

And now thanks to Gibbs - he was facing the same prejudice again. The new recruit onto the MCRT was not the type to catch a clue quickly. Kate had seen his lapel but noted it was unbonded and for an Alpha Prime no less.

Shocked she hadn’t seen it during the Air-Force One case, she stuttered. “You come in pairs, you can’t function alone.”

Tony glared at Gibbs as he blamed this pick for the team on him solely. He couldn’t help himself - he went with tried and tested sarcasm.“I don’t know, I mean I learned to wash and dress myself and everything ... I’ve been self-sufficient for years.”

Tony really truly hated the romantic fiction that pedalled guides as these fragile sex starving creatures that needed to be coddled. It wouldn’t be so bad if people didn’t think they were like that in real life.

Todd flushed, knowing she’d been called on her crap. DiNozzo was always unbalancing her by doing something unexpected. “I didn’t mean it like that.” She said, trying to back-peddle.

Tony stiffened and in that moment, he was done playing. “I find this line of questioning _intolerable_ . I don’t need to pander to your curiosity. **I am not broken.** ”

She blanched, as the word _intolerable_ had very real-life consequences when uttered by a guide. “I’m just trying to understand.” They’d been no Sentinel and Guide 101 at her college so she had to make do with the training seminars.

Tony snorted because he was sure the pout and wide eyes would work on most people. He was not average in any form of the word. He’d wanted to be underestimated but that couldn’t happen in the environment they worked in. He leaned in closely so she would be the only one to hear. “Piece of advice - to an average guide, it is difficult to lie to them, to a Prime... It is impossible.”

She scowled, now acting like she was the wronged party. “There is no reason to be so aggressive.”

If he chose to make a formal declaration of her being intolerable then there was no way she would be able to work on the MCRT. She needed this job, especially as she’d left the Secret Service under a black cloud.

Tony smiled thinly. “Oh, Agent Todd,” he all but purred. “I was only returning the favour.”

Any further conversation was cut off by Director Morrow Who was standing on the upper level of the bullpen.  “Agent DiNozzo, you have a conference call in MTAC.”

Tony looked up in surprise as he had nothing planned. “Director?”

“It’s Guide Sandburg and he said it was urgent.” The Director explained. He was nervous, as most people were when talking to Dr Blair Sandburg, who also went by the name of Alpha Prime Guide of the US.

Tony flushed because he really hoped it was for a case and not because his adoptive father felt his annoyance just now. It wouldn’t be the first time but he was over thirty years old so he seriously needed to stop worrying.

~*~

Tony had moved to MTAC and saw Blair on the big screen and he couldn’t help but grin. “Hey, Pops. What’s up?”

Tony knew the procedure was to record all conversations so he was done hiding. After all, it wasn’t like his adoption wasn’t on his records. He was lucky that Dolores down in HR was a doll and kept his record to only her. She was fiercer than any Dragon. The shock ripple that ran through the technicians in the room was palpable. The whole world knew who Dr Blair Sandburg was and it was known that along with Sentinel Ellison they had an adopted son. The identity of whom had been kept secret whilst they grew up, only he’d reached adulthood and still his name wasn’t released.

Blair avoided the awkward silence by breezing through it. “Your Dad wants to remind you that he taught you to shoot for a reason.”

Tony chuckled because anyone who believed guides were meek had never met his pops. He matched Blair’s malicious smirk. “Yeah but the paperwork is a bitch for shooting a colleague.”

Blair scowled and fiercely reminded his son. “You don’t have to put up with intolerable bullshit. You helped me to write the legislation, remember?”

Tony blushed as he’d studied both criminology and law wanting to understand both sides of the issue. He’d loved sports but his abilities meant he wasn’t allowed to play without heavy suppressants and they messed with his head. “I know and I did just verbally slap her down. I will make it formal next time.”

Sandburg looked pleased by his response remembering how hard he and Jim had worked to build Tony up from the shell he was when he arrived in their care. “Good. We didn’t raise you to be a doormat. Just remember - no matter how hard you try you can’t cure stupid.”

Tony did cackle at that because he loved his father’s twisted sense of humour. “So what do you need? You would have used _Air Guide_ if it was just to give me a pep talk.”

Blair looked sheepish. “I know you’ve been enjoying your independence at NCIS but there is a problem in LA that both me and your Dad would feel better if you were involved.”

Tony didn’t sigh or make any type of reaction as it would be unbecoming. He’d kept his career separate from the Sentinel Agency, wanting to find out who he was before he went into it full time. After all, his Pops was an academic and his father was in the army, followed by a cop before they ever ran the Sentinel Council. Tony had always known that this job was going to come with an expiry date - mainly when he found his Sentinel. He might not have known him for the first twenty-five years he’d been online but he had faith he or she was out there and he would find them. He looked forward to the day when he would no longer be considered broken by society. “What’s the case?”

Blair grimaced as the case was so abhorrent that he’d meditated on the spiritual plane for two hours and curled up with his spirit guide. “The local PD had a case and failed to spot a serial killer targeting children.”

Tony knew there would be only one reason that Blair would be asking him to intercede. “Online or on our register?”

Sandburg knew Tony could help them. “Both.”

Tony hissed as to kill to a child was one of the worst things possible. All that lost potential would be crippling and had the potential if the child was online to cripple the local areas sentinels and guides. “What’s the signature? And how the hell did the killer avoid the empathic event? We should have known about the serial killer.”

Ellison popped into frame. “A stolen part of the person... and now they’ve migrated to drawing sick tableaus of famous paintings. And your question is why we want you on the case. You will be going to LA to work with Don Eppes and his Violent Crime taskforce, they have a good record with cases and we need this solved.”

Tony had no idea how much of fate had just interfered. “I’ll be on a plane within the hour.”

Blair snorted because Tony should know him better than that. “There’s a plane waiting at Reagan for you.”

Tony knew the way they both worked. “So I’ll see you in LA?”

~*~

Tony was on the specially commissioned plane that was used by the Senior Council and he could relax as a result. The plane had cutting-edge technology allowing guides to be buffered from the minds underneath and for the sentinels not to have to dial back their hearing just to travel. It was a good job it was the Council jet as his spirit animal just appeared out of the blue - sitting on top of his work notes. His spirit animal had a mischievous grin on his face and Tony tried to be stern. “You’re not helping.”

Orso was a great if a distinctly unique guide spirit animal. It’s just when a practically corporeal version of a mountain bear sits on your work you are not going to get close to it. Tony was just lucky that Orso was a spirit animal as if he wasn’t, his bear would have broken the table.  

Tony looked at the pout on his spirit guide’s face. “Don’t pout, buddy. We need to find the bastard.” Then he got a sharp razor like grin, one not too dissimilar to his spirit animal. “And then you can claw him up and we’ll take whatever’s left.”

Orso’s look projected - _Are you sure?_

Tony nodded and offered his hand for a high-five. Orso returned the gesture with his paw and Tony grinned as Orso faded into the spirit plane once more. He’d done his job, reminding Tony not to swirl too deep as there was no one to pull him out without his sentinel.

Tony looked at the pictures and apart from being sentinel or guides, there was no link in their victimology. They were all from different backgrounds and no single age group as the ten victims ranged from age five to thirteen.

There were some notes about the team he’d be working with as well. Tony looked at the notes about the lead agent. He seemed to have a potted history about him too. Huh, a good son who came home willing to take a demotion to be with his mother who was dying. She’d passed away but Eppes had chosen to stay away after the funeral for some years and …. Tony froze seeing the other man’s status. His mind kept reading the same phrase again and again - _Alpha Prime Sentinel - Level 10. Unbonded._

Tony looked at the photo and it struck a chord deep within him. He couldn’t explain why - but he decided that he wouldn’t be distracted from his main goal. They had to find the killer and fast. He couldn’t help but feel sad at the loss of life and innocence he was seeing in the pictures. This killer was a potentially terrifying notion for oh so many reasons - they were either online or being manipulated by a mundane.

Tony heard the squark that made him look up, they’d entered Californian airspace. He wasn’t seeing Orso but rather a Bald Eagle. Tony didn’t pat it as he’d not been invited to and it was the height of bad manners to pet another’s spirit animal without at least warning them.

“Who do you belong to, beautiful, and aren’t they missing you?” He found himself asking.

The bald eagle preened at the praise and stepped forward. Tony knew he wasn’t going to have much choice but to pet her when she all but nuzzled his hand. “You belong to my sentinel, don’t you?”

Tony choked out a cry at the regal nod. It was everything he’d longed for so long. He’d been online since he was eight. He was the longest unmatched person to exist. It freaked people out when they realised how long he’d been living without his sentinel, the other half of his soul. And now it was in touching distance but he had to deal with this crisis first. “Are you going to make my life complicated?”

The eagle jumped to his shoulder and pecked his ear. Tony couldn’t help the relief he felt, it was a like a small sliver of the void he always felt was being filled. Tony was feeling giddy to think he was so close to his potential sentinel - he’d been waiting a very long time.  

Tony heard the pilot announce. “We’re landing in Los Angeles International soon, prepare for landing.”

Tony gathered up his folders, and by now they would only be reference points. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

 

~*~

“Hello, LA.” Tony remarked, stepping off the plane and shielding his eyes with his sunglasses.

“Agent DiNozzo, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Colby Granger.”

Tony gave him a sunny grin. “You too, Agent Granger. Where’s your fearsome leader?” He was peeking around wondering why the man in charge wasn’t there to meet him.

Charlie took a deep breath and grinned. “Oh hello, I’m Dr Charles Eppes, it is great to meet you. I’m Don’s brother.” With a cheeky grin. “The fearsome leader that disappeared.”

Tony couldn’t ever remember making someone disappear before he’d even said hello before. He spotted the man standing over Dr Eppes and Tony relaxed. “Hey Ian, Gibbs will be annoyed that I’m working a case with another sniper.”

“Gunny should learn to play well with others.”

Tony snorted as there was no force in this world that could make Gibbs do something that he didn’t want to - of that he was sure. “Yeah, well, not even Orso gets him to behave.”

“Who’s Orso?” The sunny woman asked him.

Tony answered. “You’ll meet him soon enough and he gets grumpy if he doesn’t get to surprise people.”

Tony guessed the eagle on his shoulder was going to stop things from being awkward by dragging on. “So it’s too bad your leader has disappeared because I kind of think this lovely lady belongs to him.”

The eagle preened and Charlie’s eyes widened as she did indeed belong to Don. “Wow. She usually won’t go near anyone but Don.”

Tony had a smug grin. “She didn’t give me much of a choice.”

“She doesn’t like to do what anyone else wants.” A new silky voice added.

Tony froze at the sound, his long wait was over and the rest of the world fell away. _“Sentinel.”_

 


	2. Icebreakers

The world froze around Tony. He was finally hearing the voice of his Sentinel and he couldn’t move a muscle. He could swear he could hear Blair laughing. _Stay out of my head, Pops._ Having a Shaman adoptive father meant that he could be annoying without the use of technology.

The response back was immediate. _You just started a bond that was felt through the entire western seaboard. Your father and I will be there soon. You better prepare Eppes for meeting your Dad._

Tony blushed because _god damn it_ . He was old enough to take care of himself and yet he just knew his Dad was going to be all _over-protective sentinel_ . Yet again, Blair popped into his head to remind him of simple truths. _Just because you’re old enough - doesn’t mean we stop caring. That is what family and tribe are for._

Tony knew that was more a reminder for him to remember he was more than his beginning years. Tony would be forever grateful for Blair and Jim taking him in when he was younger. He dreaded to think what he’d have been like if he’d been raised by Senior. _Thanks, Pops, now I need to concentrate._

Blair sent him the shaman equivalent of a snort and left him alone. What a choice. This sucked, he was facing his sentinel and yet he couldn’t do anything about it just yet. This was like having your ultimate dream standing right in front of you but having it just out of your arms reach.

The whole group stood frozen, not sure of what to do. “Want to bond...” Eppes growled, clearly trying to shake the fog of finding his perfect match. Tony could tell that they were both on the same wavelength - This needed to be delayed if possible.

Tony was feeling a little calmer because the bald eagle was still on his shoulder. It was providing a weak but tangible connection to his sentinel. He wished Orso would do the same and sure enough, Orso appeared to (pardon the pun) bear hug Don.

Tony wanted to assure his sentinel with words, knowing that it would take very little to push him to feral. “And we will but the tribe comes first... I am not going anywhere without you.”

The group had taken a step back from Orso apart from Ian, he scared less easy than the others. Tony snorted at the way Egerton hugged his guide closer. He felt like he should explain, and honestly, they should have noticed that Don was fine. “Relax. This is Orso, my spirit guide who is more corporeal than most.”

“You’re a guide.” Granger repeated, not quite a question. Tony knew what he wanted to say and wondered if the man would have the guts to say it out loud. For most people, the mountain bear just highlighted why he was a bad guide.

Tony nodded because he’d just been identified as one. “That’s correct, I’m a guide.”

“With a mountain bear for a spirit guide.” Granger finished as if he was not quite sure that could be true.

Tony smirked and teased Granger. “I’m a special snowflake." He took control of the situation, "Now we need to get back to the offices. Sentinel Ellison and Guide Sandburg will be meeting you back at headquarters so you can all be fully briefed on the situation.”

“Why are they coming?” Charlie asked him. It was a big deal when the Alpha Primes came to town and they’d already sent Tony so all three of them was kind of overkill.

Tony sighed because this was going to be a long day. “They just felt their kid start a bond, just after he was sent to help on a vital case. They want to help and they are nosey old men so take your pick.”

Tony wanted to laugh at the shocked faces of the LA team but he did get it. His adoptive parents were infamous and as a result, so many people built up images in their head of what they could be like. It would be odd to think of them as parents, even though they cared for all sentinels and guides in their own way. Tony was just oh so lucky they went one step further for him.

Eppes spoke and his voice made Tony shiver. “They’re coming here.”

Tony nodded and added. “If we’re going to delay the bonding we’ll need the help of a couple who are as powerful as we are. That means it can only be them.”

Eppes winced because that was true. “Damn, it would be your guardians.”

Tony chuckled and had to pull back from clapping him on the back. They had a three sense imprint, taste and touch were all that was missing. If Tony touched Don or vice-versa even the most stubborn person would be unable to avoid bonding in those circumstances. His hand back at his side, he offered a wry grin to his Sentinel. “You will be fine, you’re a big bad Sentinel. Now let’s go and catch this son of a bitch as we deserve a long undisturbed bonding period.”

Don could only agree and Ian whispered. “Whipped.”

Don managed to keep walking by his guide’s side, keeping up their conversation and effortlessly flipping the bird. He was multi-talented like that and as an added bonus it made his guide laugh. He would work often to hear that delightful sound.

Charlie giggled as his usually serious brother didn’t often show his less serious side. Granger was still confused and wasn’t hiding the fact.

Ian rolled his eyes but wanted the team to understand so they could adapt their behaviour accordingly. “They are super-powerful and we have a crazed killer of us on the loose. They’ve acknowledged their intent and are resisting the urge to finish the bond.”

“How strong do you have to be to resist the urge?” Reeves asked, being curious and the only other mundane on the team.

Charlie and Ian answered in chorus. “Very.” They shuddered, imagining when they’d met if they’d resisted the urge to bond. No, actually, Ian knew he would have gone on a feral drive and knocked over and killed any potential sniper in the LA area.

“DiNozzo has a forceful personality.” Granger remarked and if it hadn’t been clear that he was off limits he would have been flirting so hard. That man could have been paid to model suits.

Ian smirked because they didn’t know the half of it - to understand it you had to see it. “And you will see just how honestly as his parents are coming to town. To think this is going to really be something ... I hope Don likes the spotlight.”

“What do you mean?”

Ian rolled his eyes. “Do you remember the furore in the news when the Alpha Prime Sentinel-Guide pair announced they adopted but kept his name etc out of the press?”

“Yeah, of course, I do.” Granger remarked. He’d been a kid at the time but he’d known it was a big deal but then it all went quiet and the story died away in favour of new things. They’d been heading towards the cars they were using for transport.

Ian tried to help the team see the point he was trying to make. It wasn’t always easy with mundanes. They just didn’t have the same biological imperatives as sentinel and guides. “Well, their baby boy is done hiding and ready to face the world.”

Reeves was more receptive to body language and therefore was the one to ask the question. “Why is that such a scary notion?”

Ian snorted. “Scary, not so much.” After all, the community knew of Tony, just was aware that he wouldn’t be taking an active part until he found his Sentinel.  “I didn’t finish the story, did I?”

Tony called out. “Ian, Charlie. Can you ride with us?”

The couple nodded, guessing they were going to be there for support, plus, to discuss several things that needed to be considered without the others around them. For all their attempts and transparency - some things were solely for sentinel and guide ears.

Ian looked back at the rest of the team piling into the second SUV. “By all accounts, the heir is more powerful than the parents.”

_Life was going to be interesting - that was for sure._

~*~

The car ride was full of lively conversation and while Don was driving the others started to chat. There was a recognition that Tony and Don would soon be the leading Alpha Prime Sentinel Guide pair for the Western Seaboard. Charlie and Ian hadn’t settled in one area thanks to their careers but now there was an instinct beginning to form.

In fact, Ian knew he would soon be requesting a permanent post in LA. He would have to because as soon as Don finished his bond, Charlie and he would be the Beta couple of the pride. There was a positive though, the FBI was going to have kittens over DiNozzo. He chuckled to himself, then looking at Tony with a smirk. “The FBI is going to love you.”  
  
Tony snorted because that was not his experience in the past. “Usually they hate my guts ... this will be new.” He looked directly at Don with a frown. “You know what? You are lucky you are so damn cute. I _can’t believe_ I have to become a Feeb.”   
  
Don spluttered because he didn’t see how this was his fault. “What the hell have I done?”   
  
“Not you, darling, the FBI.” Tony finished. This was nuts and he was antsy because he was close to his sentinel so he was falling on his sassy mask to hide his frustrations. Although, he was sure he was leaking his emotions just a little bit right now.

Edgerton actually laughed out loud at the scene before him because it was almost straight out of a sitcom. It was rare from the serious sentinel and both his guide and Don were shocked. Once he stopped laughing he explained his point. “You mean they still give you shit over the Mancusco affair?”   
  
Tony groaned at the reminder. He didn’t know what else he could do to convince some of the Feds that he was on the level. “Yeah, they do. It seems the fact the old man liked me after he was put in jail was odd. Stupid paranoid bastards.”   
  
Don’s mind was racing, remembering he’d had to track down one of the family years ago. At the time, there had been rumours of a ruthless undercover officer who’d managed to bring the family to their knees. “You were Antoni DeMarco?”   
  
Tony smirked because he knew the tall tales that had developed once he’d left. “I can promise you before you have a heart attack that most of the stories were exaggerated.”

Don made a sound that Charlie was sure could be quantified as a whimper. Oh, he couldn’t wait to tell their Dad. Don glared in the mirror obviously sensing his brother’s plan. “No, Charlie, I _will_ get my revenge if you even think about it. This is my bonding so I get to tell Dad.”   
  
Charles pouted in a way only a little brother could manage before relenting. It was unbecoming of a college professor. “Okay.”   
  
Don risked a quick glance at his soon-to-be-guide while they were at an intersection waiting for the lights to change. “Is the FBI that much of a problem?”   
  
Tony shrugged but sensing the worry, tried to reassure his Sentinel. “It is not me with the problem but, Don, it is a non-starter. You’re here, your family is here and I have no serious ties. In fact, I’d be closer to the only family I’ve ever believed in as they live in the Cascades.”

Don did grimace at the reminder. “So on a scale of 1 to feral sentinel hunt - how badly is Sentinel Ellison going to want to kick my ass?”  
  
Tony snickered because everyone always focussed on the big bad sentinel - never seeing that the true danger was Blair, the happy-go-lucky guide who could leave you a quivering mess for the rest of your life if he was so inclined. “You sentinels are all the same.”   
  
Charlie grinned because he saw it too and had a matching smirk. “They don’t see it, they never see it.”   
  
Tony rolled his eyes. “We don’t want them to for one.”   
  
“True,” the genius agreed. 

Ian huffed, knowing their guides wanted to say something. “Say what you need, professor.”  
  
Charlie rolled his eyes. Ian only ever called him that if he wanted to rile him. “A high-level guide, or say a shaman, has the ability to make a man a drooling mess, or lock a person in their own mind if they were a threat to their tribe. Sentinels kill, they don’t tend to maim.”   
  
The look Ian and Don shared showed a new appreciation for their guides and a sensible wariness. They never thought of guides as meek and malleable but never as dangerous. They were the members of the tribe that were meant to protect and calm the tribe. “You are definitely Gibbs’ protege.” Ian couldn’t help but remark.

 Tony grinned showing his teeth. “And now I can shoot as well as I can use my gifts.”  
  
“Fuck me.” Ian whispered because Gibbs had said he had a protege when it came to shooting skills but he’d assumed it was another ex-serviceman who’d made the switch like Gibbs.

Tony shook his head. “Nah, Don and Charlie will get jealous.”  
  
Don was so glad that they were back at headquarters - he wasn’t sure he could handle any more surprises just yet. “Let’s go upstairs. Try not to scare the kids.”   
  
Tony held his fingers up in a scout salute and worked to reign in his aura. Jesus, he’d never known of anyone other than Blair Sandburg be able to hide their signature so effectively. “I’ll behave.”   
  
Don just knew that it was for the sake of the case and that in any other case it was not likely to happen.

~*~  
  
Blair and Jim were already waiting for them in their conference room.  The other key members of Don’s team, Granger and Reeves, had fanned out around the conference table. Tony went straight to hugging them, not having had a chance to do in too long. “Hey Pops, Dad.”   
  
The men took a look at their adoptive son. Jim was the one to comment. “You’re crawling out of your skin.”   
  
Tony huffed but explained it anyway. “You try having your sentinel right in front of you but having to resist the urge to complete a bond in order to solve the case.”   
  
Blair winced, being infinitely aware of the situation. “Talk about an incentive.”   
  
Tony snorted because that was an understatement. “That is the way I’m taking it but we’re in agreement - the Pride comes first.”

Ellison growled. “So let’s hunt this fucker. What do we know?”

The team saw the matching feral grins on Ian’s, Sentinel Ellison’s and their leader’s faces. They didn’t feel sorrow for this sick bastard but whoever they were - the killer was going to regret their actions before they met their maker.

Reeves stood up to review the files that they had so far and deliver the preliminary briefing. “We have five cases currently but they were sent to us too late to be able to visit the scenes and we’re having to rely on secondary forensics.”  
  
Tony started to ask the questions that had been bugging him because whatever his guide status - he was an investigator and an experienced one. Certain facts here needed to be established. “Why did it take five bodies for the link to be made?”

Reeves sighed as this was not an ideal situation. “The unsub is smart ... he managed to make sure the site dumps were such that different districts/forces etc didn’t pick it up. It wasn’t until the last one where the Detective got suspicious and referred the case to us and the unpicking of the other cases began. We’ve linked five unsolved murders together and the only commonality is the link to the Sentinel-Guide community.”

Blair looked at the files. He’d long since had a consultant badge with the different alphabet agencies so he would have the necessary security clearance. “Son of a bitch.”  
  
“Pops?” Tony didn’t care about where they were - there was nothing good that came when his tone was that pissed off. The last time he mentally fried a bitch who had the cheek to touch his sentinel and not take no for an answer. In fairness, he was about to shoot her but Blair had gotten to her first.

“He has to have access to the list.” Blair said to a quiet room who was waiting for an explanation.

Granger was brave enough to ask the question that others didn’t. “What list?”   
  
Tony looked to his parents - they were ultimately the decision-making force, and if he explained he was revealing a potentially devastating secret. Blair spoke softly. “Say it but then we’re leaving ... I’m afraid this will be out of the purview of the FBI if we’re right... we need to get you officially registered.”   
  
Reeves and Granger were totally lost. “Sorry, we’re not following.”   
  
Tony grinned darkly seeing his parents plans and he adored it. “I am going to officially register my bond with Don.”   
  
“Okay - but it is not complete.” Reeves noted.   
  
Don saw the plan. “It doesn't need to be ... it just needs to get us through the door and then we can probably find the bastard. We need to assess the security leak and the purpose.”

Ian ever the sniper. “I have a bullet ... Just need a target.”  
  
Ellison favoured knives but he was sure between them all they could come to some agreement. The main thing was the bastard ended up not ever harming another one of their tribe again.

“Let’s go find us a killer.”

 


	3. Down the Rabbit Hole

The room was quiet and lots of non-verbal conversations were going on but Tony was the one to break the silence. The last thing they needed on such a serious case was a lack of communication. He’d seen what happened in those cases and it was never pretty. 

“Each Centre has access to  _ The List.  _ It’s the central database of all Sentinels and Guides. There has to be something to speed up potential matches ... even if it never worked for me. It records the status and the power level of our members and there is a predictive algorithm about best matches but we leave that up to the eggheads.”

Don looked sheepish at the dig about not being found. “I only came online when a sniper took a shot at my brother.”

Reeves gasped as she comprehended the full implications of what Tony had just said. “So if the list got out it would be a huge data breach.”   
  
Blair snorted as that was an understatement. “It would be. However, as a result of the necessary security the council restricted access to the centre director and their guide or sentinel. Which is why we need to get in the centre and find out the hell is going on.”

Granger looked sheepish because in the past it had never gone down well when he’d had to collect someone from the centre. “I don’t suppose we can get him down here to interview.”   
  
Tony shook his head. “Not without a lot of warrants and then he would just hide behind the Centre’s lawyer and she is a real shark. I should know - I picked her.”

“Perfect.” Reeves let her frustration show. “So how does this happen?”    
  
Don took control and worked this like it was just any other case. “We split our tasks. You and Granger work the victims and make sure we haven’t missed something. Charlie, can you and Ian take a look at the victim sites? Run the math and the sniper view shots to see if you can’t pick up anything that the LEO’s didn’t manage to find. We don’t want to exclude any other possibilities.”

Reeves could see her boss was large and in charge here. She did her duty as his second by reminding him. “Don’t break anything ... usually the FBI has a tense relationship with the Centre.”   
  
Tony snorted. “I am still attached to NCIS so we’ll blame me.”

Don spoke softly. “You have your orders.”    


Several of the team left but Blair stopped Tony and Don from leaving the conference room. In fact, he waited until they had the room to themselves before he spoke softly. “It’s time for you to stop hiding.”   
  
Tony growled with frustration as it wasn’t that simple. “I have never hidden. It’s everyone else who said I was broken.”   
  
Blair just gave him such a dad look of _ don’t try it _ . “You can lie to everyone else but not me, and not yourself. Tell me, kiddo, if you’re not hiding why have you tugged your aura in?”   
  
Tony sighed but had to concede that point. However it wasn’t just so he didn’t make Don’s team on edge. “I’m casting the thinnest widest net in order to not concentrate solely on my Sentinel.”

Blair’s eyes went soft in understanding. His advice was simple. “Sink yourself into the family bonds. We’ll buffer you until you choose to complete the bond.” 

Tony let out a breath as he did just that and got some relief. “This is going to mess with so many people’s heads.”   
  
“Then that’s their problem and not yours.” Jim said, it was that simple and to him it would be easy. There were not too many people who would be willing to stand up to Jim when he was in full on aggressive Sentinel mode. 

Tony sighed knowing that when push came to shove - they were right. He looked at his future Sentinel and knew that if they were to succeed then he had to show  **all** of himself. “You’re going to want to stick close to Orso, he’ll keep you on an even keel when I start to throw my weight around, in a shaman way.”   
  
“In that case, Lexi is staying close to you.” Don replied in a tone that suggested it wasn’t up for negotiation.   
  
As soon as their names were mentioned the spirit animals appeared. Orso frowned and Tony knew why. His spirit animal must think he was teasing him. He tried to explain it to Orso. “We’re going to find the killer. You stick close to Don and make sure he doesn’t do anything crazy.”   
  
Don didn’t look amused because he wasn’t the only Federal Agent. “And if you do something crazy?”    
  
Tony smiled and it was a dangerous one. “Oh, you’re going to see crazy but I’ll always come back for you and that is a promise.”

Blair and Jim both snorted at the long-suffering sigh from Don and that was why they hadn’t been rough with the whole-meet-the-parents routine. What could they do in comparison to Tony if he was annoyed?  Jim patted Tony on the shoulder. “Come on, kiddo, time to go and prove the doubters wrong.” 

From the FBI office only Don and Tony’s parents were going to the regional centre. Don had left orders for the rest of his team to keep working the non-centre angle. He didn’t want them to fixate on the one idea and miss anything else. 

~*~   
  
Tony smirked as Don held the door for him at the Centre. “Thanks.”   
  
“Don’t mention it.” Don replied before asking, “Am I about to lose my cool over how you’re treated?”   
  
Tony chuckled and Don felt a shiver down his spine. He wanted to ease some of the tension he could see coiled in his sentinel. “Cool your jets, I’m more than capable of dishing it out ... and you heard it straight form Pops - I have permission.”

Don wasn’t sure the world was ready for the child raised by Blair and Jim to enter the arena but they wouldn't have much choice. He was glad he had the privilege of being able to say he was there watching it. The receptionist greeted them both. “Good morning ... how can I help you?”   
  
Tony flashed his Federal ID badge, going with that rather than his Guide status first. “I need to talk to the director of the centre... Oh, and before you try to refuse it is at the behest of my parents.”   


It was obvious that she wasn’t used to such demands being made. She dropped her pen in shock. “You can’t make those demands.” She said getting uppity, not thinking about who might be in front of her. Orso became visible, standing at Don’s shoulder but was growling at the disrespect being shown to his guide. 

Tony had to chuckle at his spirit animals antics. “Orso, buddy, chill. You’ll have a target soon enough.”   
  
“You should get your spirit animal under control.” The receptionist hissed at Don. She wasn’t used to such intimidating creatures being spirit animals.

Don smirked raising his sunglasses to his head. He wasn’t too upset to burst her bubble. “Sweetheart, Orso is Tony’s, mine is on his shoulder.” 

She frowned and shivered - there was something wrong here and she’d never heard of a guide with such an aggressive spirit animal. Her instincts were telling her to get the hell out of dodge. She stood up primly. “I’ll just go get Director Smith.”   
  
Tony smiled back but it lacked warmth. “You do that.”

Don watched with amusement as she scurried off. “She didn’t even ask your name or anything.”   
  
Tony shrugged, still playing it cool. She didn’t know it but she was reacting to his presence as he’d followed Blair’s instruction - and stopped hiding. As a result, those less than a level ten would feel like they were in the presence of a predator. It was why his Pops reined in his aura too.

Director Smith came down and the man screamed  _ douchebag _ before he even spoke. Sure enough, he opened his mouth and didn’t disappoint. “I’m sorry, Gina said that you were demanding to speak to me, something about your parents.”   
  
Tony didn’t offer his hand as he wasn’t going to cause Don further stress. “Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, this is my soon to be Sentinel. Oh, and my parents are just over there.” He pointed at Jim and Blair Sandburg. 

The Director paled immediately, understanding what that meant. “You’re the heir.”   
  
Tony smiled, glad that he wasn’t so stupid that he had to explain that little fact. “Yes, I really am.”   
  
Blair and Jim had wandered over. Blair though took it one step further. “Can you tell me why my son has gotten so annoyed that his Guide came from the spirit plane to calm him down?”

The Director simpered. “I am sure there is a misunderstanding.”   
  
Ellison just glowered as he wasn’t impressed by the deflection attempt. “Let’s take this to a conference room. We have a lot of unpleasant things to talk about ... so it would be best to have soundproofing.”

Smith was pale and sweating, Tony was guessing he was trying to think of excuses but he was going to find none that would be accepted. Tony and Don stepped in sync, walking side by side and just after Blair and Jim. They were already starting to follow the instincts of the pride and tribe. They knew they would be the official pride leaders of LA and the West Coast but eventually they would take over the US role. Although, Tony was hoping that part was far in the future. After all, he could do the schmoozing necessary for the role but he hated it.

The door closed and Don and Jim both relaxed hearing the lock click to signal they could talk without being overheard. 

Blair started off, not seeing any reason not to get straight to the point. “You’ve lost your list, haven’t you?”    
  
Smith shook his head. “No, of course not, we know how sacred it is.”

Tony sighed because he’d been hoping that it was as simple as the stupid simpering man being incompetent. “Well, then you have a worse problem. It’s more than likely one of your centre staff is using and abusing their privileges to target the very youngest of our tribe and that pisses me off.”   
  
“Makes me feel feral.” Jim remarked. He’d started cleaning a knife that he’d plucked out of nowhere. 

Blair was blasé about the knife cleaning and idea of his sentinel going feral. In some cases people just needed killing and sick bastards who murdered and prayed on children were at the top of the list. “Make sure you take Don with you.”

Tony nodded his head in agreement. “Don’t forget, I promised Orso a piece of the action and wouldn’t it be easier to find him with a name?”

Smith frowned as they were suggesting there was a killer. Surely that couldn’t be the case? There were no level tens working in this facility but they did have strong sentinel and guides. “How would they have hidden their corruption from the rest of us?”    
  
Tony shrugged because he wanted the answer to that question as well - it was rather vital that they found out. The public already feared the very highly powerful sentinel and guides and to find out one of them was a killer would be a disaster. “Well, you are a level six guide so they would be above your power level.”   
  
“How would you know?” Smith asked, not having ever heard of a sentinel or guide who could rate a power level.

Tony rolled his eyes and chose not to answer - he was bored of saying the same thing over and over again. “You’re about to find out ... Pops, shall we play?”   
  
A level ten guide had another name,  _ Shaman _ . It was a title rarely used and too often misunderstood. They were so few shamans and not a lot was known about their gifts and so people filled in the gaps with rumours and falsehoods. The thing was - shamans had abilities that a normal or even powerful guide could only dream of using. Director Smith was about to get a masterclass in just a few of those skills.

Blair and Tony stood in the centre of the room linked hands, surrounded by their sentinels and simply  _ expanded  _ their consciousness.

Their aura, their power leaked into every nook and cranny of the Centre. There was no secret left untouched, all the people too were scanned for intentions. It didn’t take the two shamans long to find something that didn’t feel right. Tony sucked in a breath ... “We need to go to the third floor.”   
  
Blair came back to himself. “Yeah, Room 15.”   
  
Ellison didn't like how pale his Guide and son were looking. They were not fragile or easily scared guides - and whatever the hell they’d sensed it freaked them out and he was itching for more weapons. He asked them both so they could prepare. “What are we going to find?”

“That’s just it...” Tony started to say.    


“We don’t know.” Blair finished off with Tony, their voices in chorus.    


Don did not like the sound of a room that they didn’t know what was in there. He didn’t care if this was supposed to be a safe place because the whole situation had his instincts primed and ready to explode. “You can’t sense into the room ... Okay, could this be a trap?”    
  
The others looked at each other, weighing up the very valid possibility - the Director looked a step away from a heart attack. His back was against the wall clearly freaked by what he’d just witnessed. “What did you just do?”    
  
Tony rolled his eyes because his priority should be the Centre he was supposed to be running. One of the first things he was going to do once he’d completed his bonding would be to replace the snivelling toad. He was already aggravated with the man and he shouldn’t have to deal with anyone that made his skin crawl. His Pops never tolerated people he didn’t like and Tony decided he was only too happy to follow his example. 

_ He makes my skin crawl.  _ Tony projected at Blair. 

He got the mental nod back.  _ We need to get rid of him - he is inept. _

Tony couldn’t agree more but the whole place on a mental level reeked of willful neglect. He wasn’t focussing on it right now because the serial killer took priority but once he could he was going through the place with a fine tooth comb, well, the Shaman mental equivalent. 

_ We can do it while you enjoy you’re bonding.  _ His Pops offered because he was awesome.

Tony looked pleased at that thought even if he didn’t share it with the general room and would consider it a perfect bonding present. Still, the Director was freaking out, obviously not handling their little power display. “You can’t just, no one can ...”

Tony snorted because  **can’t** wasn’t a word his Pops understood and he was starting to mentally flex his own strengths. He’d been too scared to do it whilst he lacked a sentinel. The one thing he never wanted to do was drift off into the spirit plane without his anchor. He made a point of ramping up his sarcasm hoping he could get the man to storm off.  “Say it with us.” He pointed at Blair and himself. “Shamans.”   
  
“You just ...”   
  
Tony sighed because this guy was too stupid to live. “Look. I’d watch your mouth because if you say something nasty my sentinel already is pissed off and just looking for a target and Dad will flatten you if you say a thing about Pops, or his son.”

Ellison nodded. “I’m just as pissed off as Don is, in fact.”   
  
Don and he shared sharkish grins - they were mainly after the serial killer but a target to mess with while Tony and Blair narrowed down their true target would help to pass the time. 

Ellison re-focussed them all. “So - what is the room mentioned and who is responsible for it?”   
  
The Director jumped on his phone to check the room log. “It’s Dr David Roberts’ room. He does the checks for ... youth sentinels and guides.”   
  
“And how does he do that?” Tony asked patiently but already knowing that they already likely had the name of their killer. He saw Don text someone.He was guessing Roberts name was being sent to the people at headquarters so they could find out everything they could about the man. 

“He is a level eight guide with a particular ability to sense when someone is coming online. He works to ensure that the guide or sentinel is matched with an appropriate conservator if it is necessary,” Smith tried to explain frantically.

Tony just sent a wave of calm at the man. It wasn’t the politest thing to do but they needed answers not a snivelling bureaucrat trying to save his own skin. “Anything unique about the man we should know, a life-changing event or something?”   
  
Don seized on the idea. All sentinels and guides were still human, just with ramped up instincts and access to a few more abilities. They would still be subject to the normal stressors of a human being. It was just rare in this case as usually a corrupt sentinel or guide would go dormant. It was one of the biggest signs that there was something wrong. In such situations, the Centre would react to take custody and have them assigned to a secure facility to assess their danger level to society. 

Smith racked his memory. “I don’t know ... I look after all parts of the day-to-day running. I don’t have time to know every little deal.”   
  
Blair lost his patience. “You’re fired. Get out before I ask Jim to hunt you for aggravating me, you bureaucratic toad.”   
  
“Say the words, guide.” Jim said lightly but the flexing of his muscles made it all the more menacing. 

Tony chuckled but watched as Don put them on speakerphone. The FBI had gotten back with what they knew.

Don spoke up. “What do we know about Dr David Roberts?”    
  
Granger spoke up. “He’s recently divorced from his wife who found her real match.”   
  
Tony groaned as you didn’t need to be a profiler to know where this was going. “Let me guess, she met her true match guide and there were children. It wouldn’t matter if she was in love with Roberts - her instincts would have told her to be with the children ... to protect the young of the tribe.”   
  
Reeves answered. “Two children - an online guide who is ten, and a younger latent sentinel aged eight.”   
  
The room took that in as they now knew they had their killer. “What’s the name of the ex-wife?” Don asked. They needed to know if they were already victims ... or if their killer was building to his grand finale and killing those who’d caused the initial stressor. 

“The ex-wife is Emeline Drew, she took the name of her guide and their bonding is registered on  _ The List _ .” Charlie answered. Blair had given him access to help speed up searches and results. He couldn’t give it directly to the FBI, his instincts wouldn’t let him, so Charlie was a happy compromise.

“Does he fit with the topology graph that you were creating, Dr Eppes?”   
  
The screen showed a red dot that was practically perfectly correlated with the dump sites of the previous victims. It was one of the things about killers, even if they tried to be random they still picked sites based on some aspect of their lives; either their house, their place of work or a site of special significance. 

Granger had been speaking into his radio. “I’ve sent agents to her place of work and their residence.”   
  
“Why target kids?” Don asked the room and the speakerphone. They needed to get in this guide’s head if they were going to be successful. They needed to have as many eventualities as possible covered if they were going to get people out of this alive.

Jim answered having seen this one too many times as a homicide detective. “The sick bastard sees them as the root of all his evils. What’s her profession?”    
  
“She’s an art curator.”   
  
Both rooms were stunned silent as there was no doubt in any of their minds that this was their guy. 

Blair spoke but his voice was infused with the power of his position. “I am ordering a sanctioned hunt to bring me Dr David Roberts. He is an _intolerable_ threat to the tribe.”

Jim, Don and Ian Edgerton responded to the call. “As you decree, so shall it be done.”   
  
Tony spoke softly. “We’re going to the black hole room, Pops, we have to. Don’t growl at me, Donny or you will end up on your ass. You’re my sentinel but I can look after myself ... we’re partners, I am not to be coddled.”

Blair smirked. “He’s right. We need any and all information we can get on this bastard and we all know time’s of the essence.”   
  


Charlie didn’t laugh over the phone as the situation was too tense but he was still a little brother and a fellow guide. “Damn, your guide won’t let you get away with anything. It’s going to be glorious.” He sobered. “We’ll work with the team here to find the family.”

 


	4. The Hunt is On

They’d not moved out of the conference room but were planning their strategy for approaching the room of doom. Jim asked the room, “What weapons do we have?”   
  
Don had his service weapons and they were visible. Blair tapped his head as if to say what other weapon did he need? And in fairness, he’d already demonstrated today that he could protect himself. Jim looked like one living weapon.

Tony added. “I have knives, my service weapons and my mind like Pops.”  
  
Don couldn’t but grin. “I like that. You don’t like to be caught unprepared.”   
  
Tony had learned in a few years at NCIS that there was no such thing as overkill. “Nope because that’s when a serial killer will try and strangle you. So let’s go take a look at a rabbit hole.”   
  
The two couples walked out of the conference room and none of them bothered to dampen down their strength or power. They radiated such a level of anger and threat that people were instinctively turning away from them. If you didn’t know who they were - you would think that they were feral only they were too in control.

The door was a simple one, like every other one on the floor. There was nothing to distinguish it and yet Tony felt a void behind it. He couldn’t understand how no one had sensed something was wrong. “How could no one have picked this up?”  
  
Blair shook his head but had been wondering the same thing. He was aware that there were no shamans here but anyone with attuned senses should have caught this. “We’ll find out.”   
  
They were coiled ready to spring into action for whatever they found on the opposite side of that door.

~*~

In an ironic twist, the room was empty which wasn’t a good thing. They’d hoped they could end it here and now but it was white and sterile. It didn’t fit the image of a good doctor who was known to work with children.   
  
The room still was a void inside which left only one conclusion as far as Tony was concerned. “We need to find the dampener.”   
  
Don winced and confessed. “I don’t have that ability without zoning.”

Tony stood tantalisingly close, so close they were almost touching. They knew they couldn’t touch lest they start the bonding rut. Tony let his voice infuse with power.  “I’m here so you can do this. You will focus on my voice. Dad is too primed for the hunt ... you can do this, _my Sentinel_.”

Don let his sense of hearing go large, he normally kept it dialled back as a consequence of living in the city. He could hear Tony’s heartbeat and that was what he let his anchor be ... and from there he stretched his senses to the limits, cataloguing every sound he could. There were oh so many. He could hear the twitch in the light - the buzz of the camera.

“We need to access the camera footage.” He said, still in agent mode.

Tony smiled fondly even if Don couldn't see it. “We will. Find me the dampener, Don,”  
he prompted, hoping to keep him on track.

Don was powerless to deny the request from his guide. There was a vibration bouncing from the one ceiling light - it didn’t match the other lights. It was the one part of the room that didn’t fit. He pointed at it. “It’s in the light.”  
  
Blair snorted with derision at the cowardice of the man . “Smart. No one would think to look there.”   
  
Tony had the pieces fit in his mind. “Son of a bitch ... he’s been using it to hide the fact he’s corrupt.”

The case got more twisted, though, as Don answered his ringing cell. “Eppes.”  
  
_“The wife and kids have been taken, the husband Guide was left beaten in his own living room.”_

The room knew the hunt was on but this was a clever man who knew he’d been discovered - so the clock was ticking.  

~*~  


The room took on a feral edge the minute they heard the family had been taken. Don growled, letting his instincts reign free. He didn’t like doing it as he put faith in the law but here he was the Sentinel, the protector first. “We hunt as a team.”  
  
Jim nodded, pleased by the fact that Eppes was taking control of the city before he’d even completed the bond. _Although he wasn’t going to say no to getting an invite to this party._ “Agreed. Divide the city into quadrants and sweep.”

Tony thought this through and knew the strategy was sound. “We need a pride meet. ASAP.”  
  
Blair knew the logistics of this wouldn’t be easy. “Use the baseball stadium and the telephone network and declare it far and wide. You two will be the regional leaders and you have an intolerable threat to the tribe and you want the son of a bitch hunted down. The pride will understand if there is a delay in the meeting.”

Tony pulled Don’s phone into his hand, just narrowly missing clasping fingers but time was of the essence. “Hey Charlie, it’s Tony. Have you finished the topology profile?”   
  
Tony chuckled at the indignant response from his brother-in-law. “No, it wasn’t in doubt. You’re the math genius but I was wondering on the time constraint.”   
  
Don smiled, seeing the ease at which his guide could handle his brother. If anything, he might ask Tony for a few hints because as much as he protected his brother - they struggled to communicate. He interrupted the conversation by asking. “Where are the likely sites he’d take his main objectives?”   
  
Tony felt a buzz on his phone and pulled away to check the time. It looked like they wouldn’t need to mobilise all sentinel and guides after all. “Well done, this is a great start. Join us for the hunt.”

~*~  
  
Back at the FBI, the main team, Granger, Megan, Ian and Charlie, were in the conference room listening in to the group who were at the Sentinel Centre. Ian and Charlie listened to the command issued by their Alpha and readily started to obey the order and get their shit together.

Granger startled at just how many weapons Ian was hiding on his body. He knew the man was a sniper but this was an impressive level of paranoid. The Sentinel was checking his weapons meticulously before he left the building ready to join the hunt. “You got enough weapons?”  
  
Ian rolled his eyes because in his opinion there was no such thing as too many weapons. It was better to have a weapon and not need it than be caught short without one. He couldn’t resist making a lesson out of the smart remark though. “You didn’t say anything to Don’s Guide, did you?”   
Colby frowned as he didn’t see what the big deal was. “He was carrying his service piece and the one knife.”   
  
Edgerton snorted because DiNozzo was a master at being underestimated. “That was not all, you missed the three other knives he’s is carrying.”   
  
“Is he a former service member?” Granger asked trying to understand because that was a level of paranoid not usually found in Federal Agents. He did see it when ex-service members became federal agents though.

Ian shook his head as there was no simple answer. “Nope, just trained by a marine.”  
  
“Ah.” Granger grinned. “So he’s going to give Eppes a coronary?”   
  
“Probably,” Ian answered with a grin. He always did like to watch it when someone managed to get under Don’s skin. It was such a rare event but he just knew that Tony DiNozzo had the power and the personality to do both. It was a good thing too, Don would never be satisfied by a meek guide.

Charlie knew his sentinel too well - he was thinking about asking him to stay behind and he was having none of it. “I will not allow myself to become a victim but I won’t stay behind.”  
  
“I know you won’t, guide.” Ian sighed resignedly. It was subtle but even mundanes would be able to see and feel the bond between the two men.

Granger and Reeves were getting a first class education on how instinctively guides and sentinels reacted. This was beyond the level normally seen but usually, when things progressed this far the Sentinel Centre took over and the lawyers protected their privacy to untold levels. Tony hadn’t exaggerated when he’d called the lawyer a shark. In fact, there had been some rumours her spirit animal was, in fact, a shark.

Granger asked Reeves the question as they were the only ones left in the room. “Do you think we will be making an arrest?”  
  
“Probably not.” Reeves answered. She knew that she hated the child murder cases and this bastard had done a number to his victims. She kind of hoped that the sentinels caught up to him first - and were particularly _uncivilised_ in his capture. She certainly wouldn’t be lodging a complaint about excessive force.

~*~

Tony and Don were sitting on opposite sides of the SUV - this not touching issue was going to be resolved as soon as possible. Tony had never given much thought about touching people in general until he couldn't do it. He was an online guide so a lot of people tried to touch him for the positive and balanced emotions he could project.

Blair had a wicked grin seeing the aborted motions of the couple. He tried to reassure them in his own way. “You’ll like the tension when you finally get to release it.”  
  
“POPS!” Exclaimed Tony in the way only a horrified child could project. 

Don just put his head in his hands, not knowing how to respond. He didn’t get much hope from Jim when all he said was. “You get used to it, or you become a part of the madness... I’m not sure which is better.”

“Well, I’m adaptable.” Don offered.  
  
Blair laughed out loud because the couple could remember hearing those exact words from their adopted son when they first met. “That was the first thing Tony said to us when he saw the house the first time.”   
  
Tony pouted. “Hey, I was nine.”

This was a moment’s levity before they faced the battle ahead. All of them hoped for a positive outcome but they’d all been around criminal cases for too long to believe that a miracle happened every time.

~*~

They’d been drawn to the warehouse district. This would be a criminal’s dream as it was full of abandoned warehouses - full of scents that would distract the majority of sentinels. If you wanted to hide from them then this would be the ideal place. Only Jim, Blair, Tony and Don were not ordinary sentinels and guides.

“There’s blood over there.” Ellison pointed out. It wasn’t visible yet but they trusted his word. He’d be able to recognise the distinct smell of blood.

Blair closed his eyes and empathically scanned the area. “I think we have ground zero.”  
  
Tony joined him and they spread their own auras to feel like they could breathe . “Yeah, he is here and he is so corrupt. He’s making my skin crawl.”   
  
“They’re alive.” Blair said, relief evident in his voice. It wasn’t all plain sailing though - he could feel the terror and pain in the children’s auras.

Don was straining his hearing. “The woman’s heartbeat sounds sluggish.”  
  
Tony sighed, knowing they had no choice but to deal with the situation themselves. They were about to go against every federal agency’s advice. “I play bait and then you come in and rip that son of a bitch apart.”

Blair didn’t like this plan. “And what am I supposed to do - knit? “  
  
Tony shook his head. “You know me better than that, Pops, you should be there to help the victims. You have that training.”   
  
“True - make sure he regrets his life choices before he is sent to the afterlife.” Blair asked of them, knowing they would do it for the insult of what he’d done. Plus, they would want to make him pay for every second of fear they could feel pouring off the children right now. In his mind, death would be too quick.

Jim smiled but there was nothing warm in the smile. Right now, he was all predator. “Oh, that’s a promise. We will make sure of it, won’t we Don?”

“Yes, we will.” Don was in perfect agreement with his sentinel-in-law.

A new voice had joined them. “Well, I hope I get invited.”  
  
Tony chuckled at Edgerton’s calm arrival. “There is no such thing as overkill in my book. Let’s go and get this evil bastard.”

Don hated the plan and you didn’t need to have extrasensory perception to know that was the case. You just had to look at him, seeing the taut tension in every muscle. Tony could see the way he was biting his tongue to stay quiet and figured he should acknowledge the good behaviour. “Thank you, Sentinel.”  
  
Don nodded, for a moment bashful. In reality, it was smart - you don't make war with your own guide because that was suicidal. He’d seen the way his little brother had got his own back when Ian had upset him. “You’re welcome.” He whispered so as not to be heard.   
  
Tony stood a little closer to his sentinel hoping that he could keep his calm right now. Tony wouldn’t care too much if he went feral to deal with the threat but he was a little selfish. He wanted Don in his right mind for their bonding. He’d waited too long for this to be wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am.

“So I knock on the front door and you go through the sides. Dad will cover Pops getting the kids out and I hope I can distract him from hurting his ex any further.” Tony summarised because it was a development of the original plan but they had to keep the injured members of the pride in their thoughts.

_The team nodded and knew that things couldn’t have perfect plans. Life wasn’t a plan and crazies never worked to predictions in Tony’s experience._


	5. Show Time

The warehouse reeked of appalling odours. It stunk of death and decay. Tony felt a wave of sympathy for his Dad and Don being Sentinels as they were getting this in high definition surround stink. He dreaded to think what it would be like for them. Tony just knew that the bastard had picked this place because it would heighten the fear of the children. 

Tony didn’t flinch at hearing the woman’s scream. He couldn’t. He was projecting a wave of calm that was meant to help quell the kids’ fear. He hated doing it but there were some situations where it was vital. People had the right to their emotions, good or bad, but in cases of life or death he would and could manipulate the emotions - but it still felt wrong to him. Still, he was pretty sure he would be having a long shower before he did anything with Don as the sick perverted joy Roberts was taking was horrific on a mental level. 

Roberts knew immediately he was there. The corrupt guide would recognise the wave of emotions from his own previous bag of tricks. “Who’s there?” He called out, angered by the interruption to his plan.   
  
“Me,” Tony replied stepping out of the shadows. He was hamming it up and turning it into a performance of distraction and it was vital he get this right. He didn’t want Roberts to see the Sentinel attack coming and no matter what was happening with his guide powers, the man was wickedly smart according to his records.

Roberts looked unperturbed, almost as if he’d dismissed Tony, recognising a fellow guide. “I’m busy.”   
  
“Being a sick son of a bitch, yeah. I can see that.” Tony added lightly, letting his sarcasm reign free. “Why torture them? And what have the children done to you?”   
  
“She deserves it. They all do. The liars, the cheaters, none of them are innocent.” Roberts hissed and damn, his crazy was shining bright and true. Tony could definitely see the stressor for all the attacks. The break in the ‘love’ match bond rather than a true match happened when two people fall in love, having given up on finding their true bond. As a result, it can be quite traumatic when one of the couple does, in fact, meet their true partner - genetics and instincts meant that it was too hard to resist. 

Tony cocked his head to the side, for all his desire to tear the son of a bitch apart, they needed some answers or at least ideas to start investigating first. He ramped up his feelings of curiosity knowing it would affect Roberts. “Hey, how did you best a Sentinel?”    
  
Roberts snorted because it was too easy when you favoured brains over brawn. “She folded like a cheap pack of cards when I held a knife to Gracie’s throat.”   
  
Tony bit back a growl. Grace was the child who was nearly an online guide. The coward was hiding behind the girl so he didn’t have a line of sight because he would be risking the child. Tony could sense the two sentinels advancing forward. The wanted to smile but didn’t as he didn’t want to tip his hand. 

“Ah, so you’re a coward then.” He said as if he’d just figured out a great mystery - even though it would be obvious to anyone with a brain.

“No, I am correcting an injustice. I am stopping the innocent from being corrupted.” Roberts ranted. “They are always corrupted no matter what you do.”   
  
Tony wanted to groan because you can’t argue with crazies but he really wished he could. It had to be the most fucked up logic in the world. Roberts was going to keep their youngest members innocent by murdering them. Twisted didn’t even begin to cover that type of perverted logic. 

Tony sent a very precise message to the Sentinel who was in pain and worried sick for her charges -  _ I can throw a knife and cause the distraction but I may make your injuries worse.  _

Emeline Drew was badass even if she seemed to have been subjected to thousands of tiny cuts. Tony got the mental equivalent of a snort and -   _ He’s a sadistic bastard so just do it.  _

Tony nodded and the faint with his gun worked, the knife moved unimpeded - hitting its target. The rope holding Sentinel Drew broke as Tony’s knives were always kept sharp. Roberts growled and charged at him - Tony stood his ground, looking the bastard predator in the eye. He missed Don’s punch that knocked him straight down. Roberts got up, wildly slashing a knife in a wide arc - as if that would stop Don’s attack. Tony saw a gleam in his Dad’s eye - and the man dropped back to cover the injured Sentinel, Emeline. It was their equivalent of  _ I got this.  _

_ And boy did Don have it. _

Roberts tried to launch an attack but his corruption stopped him. This wasn’t supposed to happen, he’d always been able to bring a Sentinel to his knees in extreme situations. “You’re just a brute.”   
  
“Hey, screw you, crazy. That is my sentinel.” Tony defended, knowing it would enrage him further.   
  
Roberts was circling the human equivalent of a tiger and he was more than aware even in his crazy state that one wrong move meant death. “He wants to end me.”   
  
“Because you’re an intolerable threat to the tribe.” Tony declared using his shaman power. It boosted the tension but Don’s eyes cleared. This was not a kill he was to play with - he was a threat that needed to be taken out and it was that simple. 

Tony watched the moves, watching to see if he was needed to protect the onlookers. He wasn’t and he knew Don would prevail. Don’s kick landed true to the pit of the crazy bastard’s stomach and he dropped the knife. The minute Roberts lost his knife the fight was over. Roberts tried to run but Orso appeared with a giant roar and a swipe of his paw sent the killer right back into Don’s grasp. Roberts was off balance, not expecting it, and Don moved in for the kill. He fought quick and viciously, and within minutes Roberts’ neck was snapped. Tony had to snort at the way his Sentinel high-fived his spirit animal. 

Emmeline Drew was rasping for breath as her injuries caught up with her. It was like she knew that she could relax now there was someone who could protect her children. They were terrified and looked to have been punched once or twice. Tony wanted to growl seeing their bruises and photos of the previous victims. Roberts the bastard had obviously shown the pictures of his former victims to scare them about their potential fate. 

They went to free the children, Tony heading to the guide and Don heading to the baby Sentinel. The girl's wide eyes were full of tears but gleaming with something different. “Are you going to be our tribal leader.”   
  
Tony nodded his head. “Yeah, I am, kiddo. That alright with you?”   
  
She nodded her head. “You protect the tribe?”   
  
“Always.” Tony promised, wrapping her in the shaman equivalent of a guide blanket. She was out like a log. She needed the time to process the mental trauma of the day’s events and would be seen by one of the Centre’s therapists soon enough. He looked directly at Don. “I’m okay with killing any of the bastards that try and harm the young ones.”   
  
Don rolled his eyes because it went without saying. “We’ll make sure they don’t even want to step into our territory.”   
  
“I like the sound of that.” Tony confessed and it worked on multiple levels. He liked the idea that if they were strong then generally crime did drop in their areas, and he really liked the fact that Don was already calling it their territory. It made him shiver in anticipation.

The young sentinel was straining her hearing to make sure he was dead. “He’s dead.” Don assured her, knowing that if that was him and Charlie he would be doing the same.   
  
Tony nodded his agreement and added. “You saw Orso swipe him, and my Sentinel made sure he was extra dead.”   
  
“He hurt Emmy,” she whispered.   
  
Tony sighed, knowing that for children who desperately sought the answers to the universe this was going to be one long road but they were alive to heal and that was the main thing. “He did but soon you are going to see your own Orso.” He could tell they were curious about his spirit animal and so tried to distract them.   
  
“Will mine be a bear?” The baby guide asked, biting her lip.    
  
Tony chuckled, “They represent your spirit so maybe.” 

“Cool.”   
  
And it was enough for a child. The killer had been found and justice sought but this was not the end. There were so many unresolved issues but there was one glaringly obvious one for Tony. 

_ A bond resisted.  _

Blair smirked at his son, knowing where his mind had gone. He’d adored Tony from the moment he’d come into their lives but he was so glad that he had a sentinel worthy of him. “Go. We’ve got this. Wait until you get to a safe place. You won’t appreciate the interruptions.”   
  
Don thought about it and the idea of bonding at the centre was  _ wrong wrong wrong _ . He would never settle until they’d reviewed the whole centre and their staff. They had missed Roberts’ corruption and that was unforgivable. “My apartment.”   
  
Tony smiled slyly but kept it PG with the little ears still around. “Does it have a lock?”    
  
“Of course!” He may be a sentinel and a federal agent but even he knew he couldn’t protect the place twenty-four seven.   


Tony smirked. “Then let’s go.”   
  
Emmeline Drew was weak but she knew the arousal and the smell of a beginning bond. She was confused by what she’d seen. “They put off the bond?”   
  
Blair chuckled at the shock in her voice. “Yes they did, Sentinel Drew, they were eager to find the killer of our community and in their words - did not have time for an epic love fest.” 

She snorted and coughed, jostling her injuries. “Where’s my guide?”    
  
“He’s at the centre being treated for his injuries. Thankfully, Dr Roberts’ anger was directed toward you so he chose not to kill the man.” Jim explained honestly. 

She let out a sigh of relief because she’d been knocked out cold before they’d been snatched so she had no idea if her husband and guide was okay. She loved the children at her feet but she wanted her Guide with her as they raised them into a kickass Sentinel and Guide. After all, the children are the future of any community. “Thank you, Alpha Prime.”   
  
Blair didn’t need the thanks but he was glad for the reasonably happy ending. Yes, there were injuries but they could heal, there was no healing from death. 

He hoped Tony and Don had the bonding they deserved - he’d been impressed by their control to resist the urge. He’d helped where possible but they’d denied themselves for the sake of the tribe. The US would be in good hands with them in the future. 

~*~

Don was racing his car back to his apartment. They were using his company car and all he could smell inside his car was his Guide and their combined arousal. It was heady. He’d wanted this from the moment that he’d set eyes on his Guide at the airport. 

He’d known about the idea of having an inbuilt partner. It sounded such a romantic cliche to him before he’d come online but afterwards - there’d been this gaping hole in his soul. He couldn’t imagine having carried this around for twenty-five years, he’d found it difficult for two years. 

“Two miles has never seemed so long.” Don said, clearly frustrated. He couldn’t hide his hard-on because now that he allowed himself to think about their bonding, all his mind filled with the fantasies of everything he wanted to do to Tony.    
  
Tony smirked wickedly because whilst he didn’t have Don’s sense of smell, he could feel it and see his effect on his sentinel. “Tell me about it - we’re going to rock each other’s worlds. We’ve waited this long ... I can handle two more miles.”   
  
Don groaned because he’d make it, the question was in what state. “It’s  _ taxing.” _

Tony shook his head adding to Don’s mental fantasies. “No. Taxing is me not putting my hands in your pants and trying to bring you pleasure to take the edge off.”   
  
“You do that and we crash and that would suck as we’re that close to finishing our bond.” Don reminded him. He was trying to stay calm but was failing miserably.

Tony huffed and in a decidedly non-Federal Agent way declared. “You should drive quicker then, shouldn’t you?”

Don was smart enough to be a little more aggressive in his driving, his apartment was now in sight and boy was it a welcome one. He pulled his car up in his parking spot and they positively raced up the stairs - the lift, in their minds, would take too long. They needed to be in a safe place before they gave into the bonding instinct. 

The door of his apartment was in front of him and he opened the door - barely. He was distracted so it took him longer than it should. He was distracted by his gorgeous Guide sucking on his neck. As soon as Tony touched his skin the rest of the world disappeared for him. All he could see, smell, hear, feel and desperately wanted to taste was Tony. 

The door closed and finally, he could taste. His pushed his Guide back against the door, cupping his head and their lips met. It was a fiercely passionate kiss, and neither man was willing to give up the dominance. 

Don grinned into the kiss, loving the fact that Tony wouldn’t just bow to him. He was the Sentinel and would have taken anything Tony was willing to give. They broke apart when oxygen became an issue. 

“Bed. Now.” Tony demanded. 

Don was in perfect agreement only he was distracted by the clothes in the way of skin he wanted to touch. “Too many clothes.”   
  
Tony pushed away and he had to stop his vocal protest. His guide smirked at him. “Get with the programme, Sentinel.”   
  
They shucked their clothes, uncaring of where they landed. Don was on Tony leaning up to steal another kiss whilst guiding him backwards toward the bed. He loved the way there was perfect trust between the pair - Tony never doubted the path and when he hit the bed, he fell backward willingly.

“You going to keep me waiting?” He asked with a smirk, seeing his Sentinel standing at the edge of the bed, visibly trying to keep control. Tony didn't want control - he wanted the wild passion. He’d waited so long for this and now he could already feel his empathic net widening to encompass his partner. “Don’t hold back.”   
  
Don shook his head. “I won’t hurt you.”   
  
Tony chuckled but it sounded sexier than he intended. He was readying himself. “You are mine, Sentinel, you won’t hurt me.”   
  
“Pushy.”   
  
“The worst.” Tony agreed. He pulled Don in closer and let their skin settle, revelling in the fact this was happening. He let go of his own iron control knowing that Don would be there to catch him. 

Don start to map a path over his Guide’s skin. He couldn’t decide what he loved more - to touch, or to taste. So he did both in equal measure. He was drugged on the sound of his Guide’s vocalisations with each moan and whimper that he pulled from Tony. He knew there was no way Tony would normally be this passive but the bonding took on special rules. 

Don was imprinting fully now, cataloguing his Guide in a way that was permanent and no matter where he went - Don would know him from everyone else. 

His lips ghosted over Tony’s erection because he wanted to taste the v of skin first. He smirked at Tony’s tense state and kept kissing a path right along the ridge.    
  
Tony growled at him. “Stop teasing.”   
  
“Shhh, in good time.” Don chided, “We’ll get there. I need to taste all of you.” And they would. Don was letting his instincts take the reins, so to speak. 

Tony groaned as he was prodded to roll over. Don’s hands were all over his back, stroking each groove and curve before trailing over his ass. He pushed back into the touch, hoping his Sentinel would get the hint. He felt his cheeks being spread and could feel the ghost of Don’s breath on his cheeks. He sucked in a breath, waiting for something - anything. 

The tongue was an unexpected but most pleasurable surprise. Tony cried out, not caring what sounds he made. He begged Don to keep doing it.    
  
Don wanted to roll around in his guide’s voice. He loved hearing the sex-slurred passionate sounds he could cause. He wanted to run an experiment to find the best places and touches for each sound. He knew rimming was a winner, that was for sure.

He pulled back, looking at his writhing guide. “Are you ready?”    
  
“Been ready...” Tony panted as he rolled over, “...for days.” Not even a slight exaggeration but Tony was so primed and ready - he actually felt like he might explode. 

Don lunged for the lube on his bedside dresser. He watched his guide as he slicked up his cock and Tony looked at him, with eyes lust blown. “Fuck me now.”

Don poured more over his fingers. “No pain for you.”   
  
Tony was no stranger to his prostate, even if it was only with toys. “I can handle you, no more waiting.”   
  
Don groaned as he lined his cock up, unable to resist the call of the bond any longer. “My Guide.”   
  
“My Sentinel.”   
  
Don pushed into Tony’s ass and he felt the bond snap fully into place and it felt like coming home. He pushed inside slowly, savouring the feel of Tony accepting him into his body just as he did in his mind. It was incredible, all the empty spaces in Don filled up. There was light and happiness, and an overwhelming sense of joy. There was no way the local area didn’t feel them come together. They didn’t care. They lay together, Don barely keeping his weight off Tony as he stayed perfectly still, balls deep in Tony. 

He didn’t want to move as this felt like perfection to him. He should have known that his pushy guide wasn’t willing to settle. He could feel the moment Tony came back to his senses. “You gonna move?”    
  
Don shrugged and rolled them so Tony was now on top, still fully joined. Tony rolled his hips experimentally and Don felt his eyes roll up into his head. “Do that again.”   
  
Tony had a wicked smirk as he gently rolled his hips up and down. “Oh, baby, I can ride you to a canter. I love riding.”   
  
“You can ride me anytime.” Don replied gasping as he thrust up into the tight heat. 

Tony was losing his rhythm as he chased his orgasm, feeling their combined emotions. It was heady. One last thrust and they collapsed back in a sated heap. “So that was epic.”   
  
Don frowned. “You can still talk far too well after that.”   
  
Ton’s grin was smug. “Do something about it then.”   
  
This was ridiculous, they were two men both the wrong side of thirty and already feeling a second coming so to speak. Don rolled back over and took their spent erections into his hand. He could smell them, as he rubbed them both back to hardness. The look in their eyes conveyed so much - love, lust, awe and a general disbelief that they were finally together. 

Tony groaned with each stroke. This was going to be over quickly as the bonding rut took them over once more. He came with a groan and collapsed back, neither of them wanting to clean themselves off, knowing this was another part of the bonding process. He may be falling asleep but he wanted to cheer and crow. He finally was with his Sentinel, life was great.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Tony woke slowly, limbs heavy and sore in the best type of way. He was no sentinel but even he could smell that the room reeked of sex.  He also couldn’t remember feeling so happy and relaxed in a long time. He remembered their bonding last night and finally letting someone inside his masks. It was freeing, liberating. Once he wasn’t so sex stupid he’d come up with other words.  “Damn, we need a shower.”   
  
Don growled,  pulling Tony on top of him . “ We  smell good.”   
  
Tony chuckled  and ground down . “Don’t deny it but it will be too much for other people’s noses and you know it.”

Don peeked one eye open seeing the scratches and bruises on both of them and looked smug. Soon, he knew he would have to go back outside into the real world. Right now though, he was in bed with his naked guide, the smell of them permeating all his senses with very visible reminders of their bond. 

Their bond was pulsing with joy. “Coffee?”   
  
Tony rolled his eyes  at his uncaffeinated sentinel . “Your place. Where is it?”    
  
Don rolled to his feet, uncaring for his nakedness and  strolled into into his kitchen to  start two cups of hot java.  He had a feeling that today he would  need the help to be fully alert. His bedroom door was open letting him see Tony stretched over his bed looking like the most delectable gift. 

Don couldn’t help but comment and say a prayer in thanks for his matching.  “You’re like living art.”   
  
Tony chuckled  but blushed . “I’ll take that compliment any day but you know what ... I’m better than art. You can and should touch me.”   
  
Don huffed  but found himself wanting to know how far the blush went down his body . “You were the one saying we should get up.”   
  
Tony rolled his eyes at the same time as he rolled to his feet. “So then let’s have a shower together.”   
  
Don could get behind that type of problem solving. The shower was interrupted  before they could have sexy times by a message that had Don cursing. 

Tony was immediately on guard. He knew that Don wasn’t the type to freak out over little things or he wouldn’t have last as long as he did in fugitive retrieval. “What the hell is going on?”    
 _  
_ _“Dad knows we’ve bonded and I didn’t tell him first.”_ Don explained. He said it in a rush almost like he thought by saying it quicker Tony would miss what was said.

Tony was incredulous. He couldn’t believe the words that had just come out of his Sentinels mouth with a straight face. Okay, granted he was rather spoilt in this area as the only parents he gave a shit about already knew they were bonding. “You forgot to say?”

Don scowled because it wasn’t like there was no reason -  _ he’d been bonding _ . “Don’t give me that tone. I was distracted by the case and you.”   
  
Tony chuckled, seeing the amusing side at least.  He’d have teased some more but knew Don wasn’t in the right frame of mind . “Okay, lead with that and see how it goes down.”   
  
“It will ... like a lead balloon.” Don remarked, picturing his Dad’s reaction. He was sure it would be animated.  He could imagine the rant right now.

Tony snorted as he turned the shower off. “Well, at least you recognise that.” 

Don pouted as he watched his Guide towel himself dry and quickly covered himself in clothes. There was a small bit of satisfaction in that it was one of his FBI t-shirts. It stretched tight on his guide and Don could easily grow to love that look - he was sure if it.    


“Your Dad is coming around and he is not seeing me with my ass hanging out.” Tony replied to his unanswered question.   
  
Okay, now Don was growling, not liking that idea. He was still way too territorial for his liking but he was assuming he would adjust and settle down. “Wearing the shirt helps.”   
  
Tony smirked before adding in a teasing tone. “Caveman.”   
  
Don rolled his eyes. “I can’t help it, ideally we would be able to stay apart from everyone for a week.”   
  
Tony snorted because he was right about the idea of that being the ideal world. “Yeah, I get the sense we are going to be as busy as the Dads are  but they’re at least cleaning house at the centre . Don’t worry, we will make time for each other because quite frankly I will demand it.”

Don found it adorable and he had no doubt that he would be agreeing with his snarky guide all the way. He wasn’t quite sure how he would put the leave request down as for the FBI but he would figure it out. He wanted this time with Tony. He was already aware of Tony on the most intimate level he could have  but he would have liked more time for their bond to settle . “Christ, why couldn’t Charlie have kept him busy?”   
  
Tony privately agreed but he wasn’t going to court anger with his Sentinel’s family on their first meeting as a bonded couple. He flipped the channels aiming to find out what had gone in the last twenty-fours when they’d been preoccupied and as he saw the news, he groaned. “Yeah, I don’t think genius little brothers could stop that freight train.”   
  
The freight train in question beng the 6:30 news announcing the bonding of a powerful Sentinel and Guide and their faces being released. It was a breach of security that was going to see both of them helping Blair run a fine tooth-comb over the centre’s security at this rate. 

Don looked at his guide even as he shucked on his own clothes. He wasn’t too fussed with a shirt but agreed with Tony’s sentiment about getting at least decent for his Dad’s arrival. “Smith  is a  petty bastard.”   
  
Tony shook his head as his mind already started to plot plans and counter plans. There was no way he was going to let this passive aggressive attack just go. “Oh no, there will be nothing petty in my revenge. He wanted my attention - he’s got it.”   
  
Don watched as Tony flipped his phone out and started to make a call. He was quite content to sit at the breakfast table and watch as his partner plotted. The call went through almost immediately. “Hey, Andy. Yeah - I’m good.”   
  
Don didn’t scowl, hearing the other voice helped - it was clear that they were good friends. Tony had a smirk on his face. “Yeah, no I bonded actually but to my utter mortification it’s all over the news. I know who’s behind it probably. Want to help me make his life miserable?”

Tony’s grin grew into a smile usually only seen on lawyers faces in Don’s experience. “Director Grady Smith.”

Don snorted, hearing Tony’s friend’s question.

“Yeah, no, he is as much of a douche as he sounds and on the off chance Dad and Pops leave anything alive, feel free to finish him off and use the frat club too ... it should be a bonding experience.”

The cackle could be heard over the phone.

Tony snickered. “Thanks, man. You lot are the best ... when everything settles you should all vacation here in LA, come and meet my Sentinel.”   


Tony looked directly into Don’s eyes as he responded. “Yeah, he is totally worth the wait.”

The phone call ended and Don found himself pulling his Guide into a filthy kiss.  He felt the need after the heated look and hearing Tony claim their relationship to his friend.  They broke apart, breathless, and Tony reminded him. “Your Dad is coming.”   
  
“Don’t remind me.” Don was currently taking the very adult and mature Sentinel approach of ignoring the problem until it went away. It wasn’t the most sensible but it was his way.

Charlie sent a helpful. < _ Dad incoming> _ message. 

Don looked around his living space and he was glad they’d not rested much before heading straight to the bed the day before. He didn’t want to have to do a rush tidyup job. No, he had a much better idea. He grabbed his guide and pulled them both onto the couch. There was a slight issue but his guide was sneaky choosing to rest his head in Don’s lap.

Don found his fingers automatically started carding through Tony’s hair. His guide started to purr. “You’re like a cat.”  He observed, although he certainly wasn’t stopping the action. He would much rather have a purring guide on his lap than focus on any problem.

Tony shook his head but leaned into the touch.  “No, you just have magic fingers.”   
  
Don was a man, so there was only response he could have to such an easy statement. “I do and I want to show you.”   
  
Tony rolled his eyes but the knock at the door interrupted their calm banter. “Better open the door.” He rolled to his feet and went to the kitchen area, he’d seen the coffee maker and figured they all deserved coffee  for the conversation . He knew that most sentinels hated such strong tastes as coffee but Don was a FBI agent, there was no way he’d function without coffee.

Eppes senior burst through the door and Tony took the man’s empathic signature in a second, adding it to the familial bonds. “Look at you, Donny, all grown up and bonded to boot. Too big hey, to tell your dad. Don’t you think I should know that I have a son-in-law?”

Tony could see Don struggle to come up with a retort, a fact, greatly being enjoyed by the beta couple standing behind Alan Eppes. Tony fortunately had no such problems, used to mingling with crowds of strangers. “Hey, so I am the son-in-law he forgot to mention. In Don’s defense we had a terrible case to solve and then we gave in to our urge to bond, I can assure you, that you were our first visit.”

“You’re an agent too, huh?”  His father-in-law asked him astutely.   


Tony nodded. “I am indeed, probably, going to end up switching agencies but yes.”

Alan’s mind was catching up with what he’d been told. “Wait just how powerful are you both?”    
  
Tony looked sheepish. “I was adopted by Blair Sandburg and Jim Ellison as a kid as my gifts were so strong and Don is my equal.” 

Alan’s heart went out to Don. It made perfect sense to hm. The old man knew that Don struggled to accept Charlie being moved into the same grade as him. It didn’t matter though what he thought, he’d protected his brother fiercely first at high school and then through adult life. So he had two extraordinarily talented children. Charlie with his flair for mathematics and Don with his strong expression of the sentinel gene. It made a lot of sense as to why he ended up as an FBI agent and enjoyed the fugitive hunts. 

Don watched as his Dad pulled Tony into a fatherly hug. “Welcome to the family, son. Don is awesome so don’t let him become Ahab on a hunt and we will get along swimmingly.”   
  
Tony grinned,  knowing that he and Alan would get along just fine . “Oh, don’t worry. I am just as stubborn as he is and have experience with stopping that type of hunt. So are you staying for a drink  Alan, and you two lurkers ?”    
  
Alan looked startled. “You’re okay with that?”    
  
Tony smiled softly. “You are my sentinel’s father and right now, the family tribe is almost all under one roof so I’m okay with it. Ignore any grumblings on Don’s part, he’s just grumpy and needs the rest of his caffeine fix.” 

Ian looked comfortable resting against the kitchen bar, Charlie was resting against him. The room smelled of them and it would forever remain an anchoring state when they needed to ward off feral states in the future. “There is not enough caffeine in the area to fix Don’s grumpiness.”   
  
Don had the mature but excellent response of a middle finger. He took Ian’s style though and rested against one of his cabinets with Tony snug by his side. “Maybe, but I’m being civil.”   
  
“Yeah but that’s because you want to make a good impression on Tony.” Charlie added cheekily,  showing he was definitely a younger brother .    
  
“I get no respect.” Don huffed.   
  
“You get plenty.” Tony reminded him. “Now let me cook up some pancakes and we can all talk like adults about the big changes that are on the horizon.”

_ Big changes was perhaps a little simplistic to explain all the changes but that was a different story. Tony liked the changes though, there was nothing broken about him and with a stroke of genius - he got Alan working at the centre. He was the one mundane who could let the Guides relax and calm Sentinels in a tizzy with his homespun advice.  _

_ Life was good.  _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the end of the first story - I will add either a prequel or timestamp collection to this. (The first chapter of Tony’s first meeting is already written)
> 
> Thanks for reading either here or on Rough Trade.


End file.
